Under the Patronage of the Bishop of Limerick.

Most Recent Update: October 2018

This is a working document that is being developed by the School Community. It is constantly reviewed at Staff Meetings, on ‘Revised Curriculum’ in-service and SDP days It is the process by which we educate our children in St. Paul’s N.S.

As part of the self analysis, the school community shall, when opportunities arise, evaluate the plan under the following criteria:

1. School Administration 2. School Planning 3. Curriculum Implementation

PPlleeaann SSccooiillee

St. Paul’s N.S., Dooradoyle, Limerick

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Contents: Page

The Process of the School Plan 3 Mission Statement 4 Introduction to St Paul’s NS 5 Accommodation with our school 7 Aims and Objectives of St Paul’s NS 8 Board of Management 9 Home-School Liaison (and Parents’ Association) 10 St Paul’s NS Staff 12 Ancillary Staff 13 The Principal 14 Posts of Responsibility 16 Communication 22 Policy Documents 23

1. Enrolment 23 2. Learning-Support Provision (Including EAL provision) 23 3. Parent/Teacher 48 4. Supervision 48 5. Break time Supervision/Sanctions 49 6. Homework 49 7. Intercultural 50 8. Attendance 52 9. Child Protection Policy 53 10. Bullying 63 11. Acceptable Use (IT) 66 12. Administration of Medicines to Children 68 13. Equality of Access and Participation 69 14. Health and Safety 73 15. Record Keeping and Data Protection 80 16. Staff Relations 82 17. Staff Development 86 18. Substance Abuse 88 19. Ancillary Staff 90 20. Healthy Eating 92 21. Assessment 94

Code of Conduct 99 School Day 103 After School Use of Facilities – Hall & School 105 Development Plan 106 Review Schedule 113 List of Meetings (School Planning) 116 Curricular Areas

English 120 Mathematics 154 Gaeilge 178 History 202 Geography 217 Science 231 SPHE 245 Visual Arts 260 Music 269 Drama 280 PE 293 ICT 315 Comenius Project 328

Planning Templates 333 Dates of Completed Reviews 350

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The Process of School Plan The process of the school plan has taken shape from the school year beginning 2000 up to now (June 2008). The process has been a four-staged approach. Stage 1: This has been the recognising of the then current practices in the school. Stage 2: This involved the formulating of administrative and organisational policies for the day-to-day running of the school Stage 3: This involves the phased implementation of the revised curriculum and identifying core curricula for most subject areas. Stage 4: This involves setting up planning structure to allow teachers to plan as individuals and in their own class groupings on an on-going basis. Stage 5: Evaluation – a development plan is created at the beginning of each school year, the objectives of this plan are implemented and then reviewed at the end of the academic year. The effectiveness of the school plan in measured by review process which includes: discussions, reviews and feedbacks from staff at staff meetings, in staff room and school-development planning days, feedback from parents and board of management and children. It is also measured by how efficient and effective the day-to-day running of the school is and any concerns here would inform changes in the school plan. Since 2010 this development plan was replaced by what is now called the School Self Evaluation Processs.

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Mission Statement for St. Paul’s N.S.

We aim to provide each child with an education in a caring and happy environment.

We aim to work in partnerships with parents and the outside community to develop a sense of worth in each child.

We aim to teach each child the values of faith, hope, charity and love.

We aim to maintain a Catholic ethos in our school but also teaching each child to tolerate and respect other faiths and religions.

We will prepare each child for further education and endeavour to develop his/her talents.

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Introduction to St. Paul’s N.S. St. Paul’s N.S. is located at Dooradoyle on the suburbs of Limerick City. It is a mixed-class area, which has been growing and growing for the last twenty-five years. The school draws its pupils from Dooradoyle, Gouldavoher, Ballykeefe, Raheen and Ballycummin. There are also pupils from South Circular Road, Ballinacurra and the surrounding areas of Clarina, Crecora and Patrickswell. Our school has temporarily moved to Scoil Carmel, O’Connell Avenue while awaiting refurbishment of our school premises. Enrolment has been growing since 1999-2000 in St. Paul’s, rising from 429 to the current 656 pupils. We are a 36-teacher school including 10 resource/learning support/EAL teachers. St. Paul’s is located beside the Regional Hospital and many of the doctors who work at the hospital are of foreign extraction. Therefore we have children from all over the world attending our school. These countries include Pakistan, India, Palestine, Nigeria, Togo, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Russia, America, Brazil, China, Poland, Latvia, Denmark and the Philippines etc. This international flavour adds culturally to our school and enhances our children’s education. St. Paul’s also has one teaching post for these non-English speaking pupils. This is a temporary post. It has greatly helped to help foreign children to improve their communication and language skills. It has helped children to settle in to our community here in St. Paul’s and develop friendships quickly in a caring manner. The overall objectives of our school are to provide our pupils with the best possible Infant Education in their formative years, to inculcate in them a spirit of co-operation, a respect of each other and for their teachers and a willing attitude to their work, and as they grow through our school, teach them spiritual and moral values which will remain with them to maturity. We hope to achieve this in a happy atmosphere of school life here at St. Paul’s N.S. The emphasis of our teaching is based upon the three R’s. Our curriculum is rooted in this but we also recognise the varied curriculum and the many changes, which are taking place in the Education field. The teachers of St. Paul’s strive to provide a sound grounding in the three R’s but also wish to provide every other educational experiences for each child. St. Paul’s places great emphasis on I.T. as a learning tool in the Primary school. Children have the opportunity to develop skills in this area from Infants up to 6th class. We are currently participating in a European Computer project with schools from Spain, Germany, Poland and England. Laptop Computers and Tablets have also been introduced as a learning aid in our school. Children have a wide range of curricular and extra-curricular activities to participate in. They receive instruction and learn to swim from First Class through to 6th class. They experience various theatrical groups throughout their education in St. Paul’s. Many groups from Ireland and England visit St. Paul’s to put on performances each year and explore different themes with the children. Many of the themes focus on social and historical events in Ireland and throughout the world. St. Paul’s has experienced the Artist in residence scheme in 3rd and 4th classes where children explored Ancient Greece and Rome through artistic experiences. Many of

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the children sing in the school choir and the higher classes has the opportunity to participate in the Peace Proms at the UL Arena. All children from 3rd to 6th are involved in the Music Generation Programme. “Music Generation is Ireland’s National Music Education Programme that transforms the lives of children and young people through access to high quality performance music education in their locality. Through partnership, we create rich and diverse ways for participants to engage in vocal and instrumental tuition delivered by skilled professional musicians, across all musical genres and styles.” The co-operation of the staff, parents and outside community help to provide ‘liberal education’ to the pupils of St. Paul’s and as you reflect through our ‘Plean Scoile’ we hope you can visualise our future…

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Accommodation within the School St. Paul’s is due for a large 12-classroom extension in the near future. The building will be totally upgraded and updated to a school fitting the 21st century. The present building has not been refurbished since 1973, the year in which the school was built. The building is in need of complete refurbishment – heating, electrical, insulation, sanitary etc. It is most important that children who attend St. Paul’s enter into a clean, bright and child friendly school. This will hopefully be addressed in the new building project.

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Aims and Objectives of St. Paul’s N.S.

Our school aims to provide each child with a balanced education to enable

each child to develop his/her skills to live a full life as a child. This is provided in a caring and kind environment where each child learns

to treat each other with charity, justice, truth, patience and love.

The school provides a Catholic and Christian education for each child while it recognises and respects other faiths and religions.

Our school recognises the importance of our Irish Culture and incorporates

music, language, sport, dancing and customs into each Childs education.

The overall objectives of our school are:

To provide each child with the best possible education in their formative years.

To inculcate in them a spirit of co-operation.

A respect for each other and their teachers

A willing attitude to their work.

And as they grow through our school teach them spiritual and moral

values, which will remain with them to maturity.

The school values the contribution of parents, guardians and the outside community in the development of the school and values the input of outside agencies such as psychologists, social workers, gardaí doctors and nurses etc. in caring for all children.

The school values the knowledge of history, geography (local, national and

international), music, singing, art, design and craft making.

The school places emphasis on the development of skills in our national games of Hurling and football as well as a wide range of other sports including, Hockey, Swimming, Athletics and Soccer.

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Board of Management - The Board of Management meets at least once a term and usually twice a term.

There is a standard quarterly meeting and the Board has also met in recent times to discuss the building project etc.

- The Chairman consults with the Principal who informs the Secretary. The

Secretary then sends a notification in writing to the members giving at least a week notice.

- The current B.O.M. consists of: - Chairman Fr. John Leonard. - Secretary Mr. John Tuohy (Principal) - Treasurer Ms. Marion Cahill - Patron Nomination Ms Páidrín O’Reilly - Parents Representatives Mrs. Norma O’Brien Mr. Mike O’Callahan - Community Representative Mrs Lil O’Rourke - Teacher Rep Ms Carmel Hayes

Meetings: The Chairperson and Principal draw up the agenda for meetings and all members have the opportunity to discuss issues arising from the minutes and the agenda. Members also have the opportunity to bring up any other issues under A.O.B. - The Teacher member of the B.O.M. is elected from the body of teachers on the

staff. Proposals are taken from the staff meeting and a vote takes place to elect a successful member.

- The teacher and Principal inform the staff about the outcomes of Board meetings.

This usually happens the day after meetings have taken place. If the teachers have any issue, which they feel needs to be discussed, they can ask the teacher representative to bring it up.

- The two parent’s representatives also bring various issues to the attention of the

Board. There are elected from the parents association.

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Home/School Liaison There are very good links established between St. Paul’s N.S. and parents. Parents are encouraged to meet teachers at the parent/teacher meetings, which take place late in the first term. Parents are also encouraged to meet teachers if they so wish to discuss any concern they might have about their child’s education. An appointment is made with the secretary and the teacher will meet the parent. Formal parent teacher meetings take place class each year. Parents are encouraged by the Principal & Staff to be involved in their child’s education. They do this in many ways in St. Paul’s. Parents are encouraged to get involved in shared-reading with their children and also to supervise and check homework assignments. Parents are very active in this area and also in the area of sports where many mums and dads provide transport and support for their children at matches and competitions. Parents also provide help during swimming classes particularly with First and Second classes where they help to prepare children for school after the swim. - The School has an app which for instant communication with parents. We also

have a school website, and both are updated on an ongoing basis by the School Administrator.

- The Principal meets parents on an on-going basis also and promotes the school and its pupils when and where possible.

- Parents also provide valuable help in the area of fund-raising they contribute €50 per childiannually to the school fund which traditionally buys little extra’s for the school e.g. Basketball Nets, and other associated P.E. equipment; and is also part of the building fund

- A School Newsletter is available on the website and through the ap, where parents can read all about the different events happening in St. Paul’s. It refers to school holidays, achievements of classes or children, extra-curricular activities taking place and fund raising for the school or worthwhile causes like Serve or Bóthar etc.

Parents Association: The Parents Association in St. Paul’s has an A.G.M. in September or October where a committee is elected. The committee provides support to the school in the following area: - Preparation & serving of refreshments at Confirmation and Holy Communion. - Christmas Party/Santa - Book fairs - Some fund raising events for school - Organising the sale of second-hand school books in June - Christmas Cards - The school formally liaise with the Parents Association through two parent

representatives on an on-going basis throughout the year. School policy and issues relating to school are discussed and listened to.

The parents association shall: Represent the parents of our school

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Plan activities for parents Support the principal and staff in the pursuance of school aims and objectives Encourage parents to be active partners in the education of their children Help communication between parents and school.

Funding: The parents association shall organise their own fundraising events in consultation with the principal and board of management. They will also keep an account of finances to be overseen by the treasurer.

Composition: Chairperson – vice chairperson Secretary Treasurer P.R.O. Other elected members who form committee including two members to

represent the parent body on the Board of Management.

Meetings: AGM – held at the beginning of school year

To include minutes and statement of account. Monthly Meetings Meet with principal once-a-month on an ongoing basis

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St. Paul’s N.S. - School Staff:

Name Position Class Class Size

John Tuohy Principal Eileen Fitzgerald Deputy Principal Patrick Kennedy Assistant Principal 5th Miriam O’Mahony Assistant Principal Resource Margaret Bernard Assistant Principal Learning Support Mary Dalton Post Resource Paul Carroll Post Learning Support Geraldine Stackpoole Post Learning Support Carmel Hayes Post EAL & LS Siobhán Doherty Post Resource Muirne Bennis Post S. Infants Aisling Geary Post 6th Pádraig O’Brien Post Resource Mary Ryan Post 1st David Tobin Post Resource Deirdre Kenneally Post 4th Ruairí Walsh Class Teacher 6th Niamh O’Dea Class Teacher 3rd Sarah Keane (On Secondment) Kieran Madden Class Teacher 4th Susie Reale Class Teacher 2nd Caroline Lawlor (On Career Break) Sinéad Enright (On maternity leave) Maureen Toomey Class Teacher 2nd Niamh Barron Class Teacher 3rd Aoife Geoghegan Job-sharing Annmarie Kelly Class Teacher Deirdre Cullinane Class Teacher Junior Infants Marie Allis (On maternity leave) Senior Infants Adrian Kirby Class Teacher 2nd Áine McNamara (On maternity leave) 1st Tomás O’Brien Class Teacher 5th Jennifer Mortell Class Teacher Senior Infants Aoife Barron Class Teacher Junior Infants John Hutton Class Teacher – Temp 1st Michelle O’Malley Class Teacher – Temp Junior Infants Melissa Shine Support Learning – Temp EAL Amy McGrath Support Learning – Job-

sharing cover LS

Sandra O’Shaughnessy SNA Joan Woods SNA Eileen Cumiskey SNA Evelyn Fogarty Career Break Martina Condell SNA Amy Ryan Covering Career Break Ciara O’Sullinvan Class Teacher – Temp Rachel Naughton EAL – Paternity

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Ancillary Staff

School Secretary:

List of Duties: Dealing with visitors, parents, correspondence. A secretary may take responsibility for:

Collecting all moneys within the school e.g. swimming, Art & Crafts. Theatre, School Tours, Fundraising for charities etc.

Assisting with records, roll books and registers on Aladdin and online claimes

Keeping school accounts and inventory of stock. Ordering school requisites. Answering the phone and taking messages Distributing in-school communications.

School Caretaker:

List of Duties 1. General overseeing and maintenance of school buildings, plant fittings and

furniture. 2. Cleaning of school buildings and general maintenance of school grounds,

entrance and keeping free of litter. 3. Selecting and buying materials required. 4. Turning off/on heating before/after holidays and checking oil level in tank

every four weeks at least. 5. Keeping inventory of tools and equipment. 6. Opening and Closing school outside school hours.

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The Principal The role of the Principal is defined by many sectors of the Educational Act. Board of Management – he/she devolves power from the Board Department of Education Circulars Rules for National Schools INTO Handbook – Definition of Duties

The role of the Principal is also influenced by the consultative process with parents, outside agencies and the parish community. The duties cover many areas of school such as: -

Planning Discipline Organisation Development

The middle management structure within the school provides the Principal with the opportunity to delegate and share duties with post holders and staff etc. The importance of delegation cannot be underestimated and provides staff etc. with the opportunities to develop school structures and school life.

Principal’s duties for Board of Management: Act as member of Board Report on school matter at Board meetings Present relevant documents to Chairperson and keep Chairperson informed of

school matters Provide substitute teachers where appropriate and possible Interview and appoint new staff Maintain health and safety standards within the school and inform the Board

of hazards/dangers Provide fire drill once a term

Administrative duties of Principal: Liaise with postholders and oversee assigned duties Promote pupils in curricular and extra-curricular areas Provide timetable Collect and keep records of teachers work in classroom – Cúntas Míosúil Complete Departmental statistics and forms.

Professional duties of Principal: Organise and facilitate staff meetings Meet staff and discuss all school issues on an ongoing basis Provide leadership and impetus for the revised curriculum Monitor development of school plan Induct new staff members Promote extra-curricular activities and support teachers who undertake them Review booklists and textbooks Ensure a positive and pleasant atmosphere exists in school Arrange for staff in-service

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Help to prepare Holy Communion and Confirmation class and support teachers and parents handing on the faith

Developing posts of responsibility in our school

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Posts of Responsibility

Curricular Administrative

Music Computers Supervision English Registration (Reading)

Science Rolla Assessment

Yard: School Closing

Visual Arts Curriculum Planning P.E Class Planning/Supervision SPHE Staff Development Gaeilge Health & Safety

Mentoring

The posts of responsibility in St. Paul’s are outlined the diagram here. The posts are designed to include both organisational and curricular areas of the school plan. They exist to extend the middle management involvement in supporting the Principal to carry out and evaluate the day to day running of the school. The delegation of such responsibilities exemplifies the ‘ownership concept’ endorsed by the school staff and reflects the cohesive and supportive roles of the staff in maximising the effectiveness of the school plan.

Special Duties of Deputy Principal Resources Co-ordinator & Regristrar, St Paul’s NS Eileen Fitzgerald Special Duties Post Music Co-ordinator, St Paul’s NS Eileen Fitzgerald

1. Responsibility for assisting the principal in the day-to-day 2. organisation and supervision of the school. 3. Division of classes in the event of a teacher being absent. 4. Maintaining a list of teachers on EPV days. 5. Organisation of class supervision for teachers involved with school teams. 6. Registration of all pupils in the school.

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7. Recording of pupils’ attendance during each school year. 8. To organize junior assembly (from Junior Infants to Second Class) to acknowledge and

celebrate children’s achievements both inside and outside of school and to promote others activities within the school such as Seachtain na Gaeilge, Reading Month, Science Week, Maths Month and Our Green School.

9. To liaise with educational publishing companies, particularly in relation to resource packs for school book lists.

10. To survey teachers annually in relation to books/materials/equipment required. 11. Creating a positive musical environment, which encourages and values 12. spontaneous sharing of ideas, skills and resources among teachers and pupils. 13. Collecting and communicating information about in-service training, school visits and

musical events. 14. Organising the purchase, storage and maintenance of music resources. 15. Encouraging the involvement of as many children as possible in music-making through:

a. Participation in the School Choirs b. Participation in Music in the Classroom concerts c. Participation in Christmas Carol-Singing d. Participation in choir for church sacraments

16. To create Morning Supervision rota. 17. To supervise children in the school yard before 9 a.m. 18. To create the Yard Duty rota. 19. Discuss with principal, class teachers and S.E.N. teachers which children after a period

of intervention might be in need of assessment 20. Check which children leaving sixth class might need an up-to-date report and therefore

reassessment before entering secondary school. 21. Meet N.E.P.S. psychologist with principal in September for the annual planning meeting. 22. Make contact with parents, meet with them and get their help with the referral form.

Meet class teachers re information for referral forms. Collect any previous assessments from other agencies and send all to N.E.P.S.

23. Forward date for assessment to parents and arrange meetings between psychologist and parents and class teacher and psychologist.

24. Arrange suitable location for assessment on the day. 25. Distribute copies of assessment reports to relevant staff when completed. 26. Make application to NCSE for resource teaching hours. 27. Make application to NCSE for assistive technology for children who require same. 28. Maintain a record of children attending learning support and resource teaching. 29. Organising the collection of Cuntas Míosúil from teachers of third to sixth classes. 30. Co-ordinator of Literacy Lift-Off Programme for First Class and Senior Infants.

Special Duties of Assistant Principal IT Co-ordinator, Monitoring of Yard at School Closure St. Paul’s N.S. Pat Kennedy

i. Computer Room a) Switch on/off morning and evening b) Fixing minor technical difficulties c) Upgrading Antivirus d) Upgrading and downloading new software onto the system e) Repairing and replacing damaged and old computers f) Organising the removal of old electrical goods g) Organising the timetable for the Computer Room h) Ordering new software i) Checking on software list and collecting and collating prior to holidays

ii. Classroom Computers

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1. Installation of PCs 2. Installation of Software 3. Networking and Internet 4. Advice for teacher about integrating IT into their lessons 5. Solving small technical problems throughout the school 6. Maintaining printers and upgrading printer drivers 7. Checking printers and organising replacement of ink cartridges 8. Removal of old ink cartridges 9. Maintaining antivirus software and upgrades on computers 10. Maintenance and designation of laptops and projectors throughout classrooms 11. Organising installation of Interactive Whiteboards throughout the school 12. Installing Office, Antivirus, and the necessary software on each teacher’s

desktop computer and maintaining this 13. Installing network access and printers on all teachers desktop computers and

maintaining the software and downloads

iii. ICT General 1. Organising and timetabling the IT maintenance technician as problems arise 2. Supervising the buying and replacing of damaged and redundant hardware 3. Organising training for staff on new initiatives i.e. Web conferencing, Web 2

technologies, twinning, blogging, Edu blogs…. 4. Do ongoing surveys of staff requirements in ICT upskilling 5. Do a regular stock take of hardware requirements throughout the school 6. Motivate staff to make the best use of new technologies. 7. Surveying staff on computer use 8. Develop a plan of short-term and long-term goals 9. Maintaining communication with NCTE on grants and grant requirements 10. Organise the availability 2 digital cameras and one digital video camera 11. Switch on the reception area digital display screen each morning 12. Review internal network security annually

iv. Website 13. Maintaining school website 14. Creating school policy on acceptable use and review annually 15. Creating school ICT plan and reviewing annually 16. Buying new and replacing old software and hardware 17. Train and skill a group of pupils to help with ICT

B. Supervision

Part of tam that supervises the school yard in the morning prior to class commencement.

Supervising the school yard each evening to encourage pupils to make a safe and orderly departure.

Special Duties of Assistant Principal English Reading, St Paul’s NS Miriam O’Mahony

1. Ordering, sorting and distributing reading material 2. Organising World Book Week 3. Distributing ideas for reading activities during world book week 4. Organising excursions to library, O’Mahony’s bookshop etc

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5. Fundraising for reading materials e.g. read-athon 6. Organising school book fairs 7. Rolla: Daily numbers for whole school 8. Morning Supervision

Special Duties of Assistant Principal S.P.H.E. Co-ordinator, St. Paul’s N.S. Margaret Bernard

1. To co-ordinate, foster interest in and promote S.P.H.E. related activities in St. Paul’s N.S. and the wider Dooradoyle community.

2. To raise awareness of environmental issues among the school population. Specific issues to be addressed will be: Litter in school buildings and grounds Promotion of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle campaign Introduction of elements of Green School Campaign on a phased basis:

3. S.P.H.E. Curricular issues – sourcing, recording and disseminating information on curricular issues, e.g. suggested programme and recommended resources for implementation of curriculum (Junior Infants – 6th Class)

4. Co-ordinate review of SPHE school plan 5. Review Healthy Eating Policy annually 6. Mentoring of Newly Qualified Teachers in conjunction with the National

Pilot Project on Teacher Induction.(N.P.P.T.I) 7. Creating an Induction Pack for N.Q.T.’s , suitable for use by Temporary and

Substitute teachers. 8. Fostering an interest in and appreciation of the mentoring process amongst

staff members. 9. Encouraging the growth of a mentoring team within the school. 10. Investigating the possibilities for Whole School Development through

introducing elements of the mentoring process to the wider school community, in particular, reflective practice, collaborative planning and increased teacher co-operation and support.

11. Morning Supervision

Special Duties Post (B) NEPS & Assessment, St Paul’s NS Mary Dalton

1. NEPS Assessment

a. Liaise with class teachers, L-S/Resource teachers and principal; and following staged approach decide on pupils for assessment

b. Liaise with NEPS psychologist, class teachers and parents regarding referral forms, dates for assessment and oral feedback

c. Distribute copies of report to class teachers and L-S/Resource teachers. 2. Standardised Testing

a. I resource, distribute and arrange storage of standardised test, manuals and booklets and collect same plus results after testing.

3. Morning Supervision

Special Duties Post (B)

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Physical-Education Co-ordinator, St Paul’s NS Paul Carroll

1. The maintenance and care of all P.E. equipment A physical-education equipment room caters for the storage of all

physical education equipment As the P.E. curriculum is implemented, additional equipment shall be

purchased in consultation with staff members to implement the various strands

Organise collection of Tesco Sports Tokens and order equipment To make staff members aware of what equipment is available on an

on-going basis. To encourage children (through staff members) to maintain the

equipment room and return items to their correct storage 2. The organising and overseeing of the implementation of the Physical

Education Curriculum To provide teachers with the resources to implement the strands To catalogue and store further resources such as books, CD-ROMs,

tapes and downloaded material from the internet. These to be stored in the equipment room for teachers’ use

3. The organisation of the Senior Sports Day involving the setting up of a variety of stations in the school field, the ordering of additional equipment e.g. bouncy castles, the preparation and distribution of a timetable to each teacher and offering advice to teachers on how to engage the pupils in the various activities.

4. The organising of trials for all children in Saint Paul’s N.S. from 2nd to 6th classes in advance of the Limerick City Sports, the selection of a team to represent the school, the organisation of transport by bus to the venue and on the day of the City Sports to provide encouragement and commend the children on their efforts.

5. The overall intention will be to give pupils in St. Paul’s N. S. an introduction to as many aspects of P.E. as possible. It is hoped that following this introduction that every pupil will have a sporting interest to carry with him/her into adulthood. Participation, enjoyment and development of skills are looked on as

being most important. In team sports, the emphasis will be on sportsmanship, co-operation

with and tolerance of team members 6. To create and co-ordinate review of school plan in PE 7. Morning Supervision

Special Duties Post (B) Health & Safety/First Aid, St Paul’s NS Geraldine Stackpoole

1. Stocking of first-aid supplies 2. Updating staff on health and safety issues 3. Organising for health and safety personnel to address staff (e.g. APEX fires on

correct use of fire extinguishers) 4. Organising display of health and safety procedures 5. Health & Safety Officer – bring safety matters to the attention of principal,

caretaker & BOM 6. Review Health and Safety policy on a yearly basis (refer to school plan) 7. Is Designated Liaison Person in the case of alleged child-abuse report/suspicion

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8. Morning Supervision

Special Duties Post (B) Collaborative Planning, St Paul’s NS Carmel Hayes 1. Organise for collaborative planning 2. Organise supervision rota for collaborative planning 3. Identify areas to be discussed/planned/potentially worked on 4. Liaise with Muirne Bennis (post holder – school plan development) to further

discuss areas to be covered 5. Co-ordinate documents to be completed 6. Gather all recordings 7. Compile individual recordings into class plans 8. Distribute final drafts 9. Ensure Muirne Bennis (post holder – school plan development) has copy of final

drafts to be included in School Plan/Resource Folder 10. Organising of afternoon supervision in the event of a teacher attending a meeting,

planning etc. 11. Morning Supervision

Special Duties Post (B) School & Curriculum Plan Development Muirne Bennis 1. Liaise with principal, post holders and staff to record and update school plan 2. Liaising with staff to record core curriculum in all subject areas 3. Organising in-school curriculum planning days/elements for staff meetings –

liaise with post-holder in area where appropriate 4. Record decisions agreed upon during these planning days/staff meetings into the

school plan where necessary; disseminate these decisions to staff 5. Compiling individual packs for all teachers including policies and core curricula –

ensuring staff are informed of current administrative and curricular practices in our school

6. Identifying planning areas which need addressing and including them in development plan

7. Co-ordinating review of school plan – liaise with post-holder in area where appropriate

8. Morning Supervision

Special Duties Post (B) Database Padraig O’Brien 1. Liaise with staff to distribute data capture sheets and collect details on all students. 2. Input all student personal data into Data check. 3. Check all details of students before distributing contact lists to respective classes. 4. To update and maintain Data check throughout the year. 5. To transfer all standardized test results from paper form to computerized form

starting from this year. 6. To supervisor students in phase two every morning as they come in from the line. 7. Morning Supervision

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Special Duties Post (B) Maths, St Paul’s NS Aisling Geary 1. Inform staff on in-service courses 2. Maintain notice board in staff room on in-service courses 3. Organise bookings of courses in some cases 4. Inform staff of any services on offer to teachers (particularly liaise with Limerick

Education Office) e.g. cuiditheoir 5. Review school policy on Staff Development annually 6. Morning Supervision

Special Duties Post (B) Visual Arts, St Paul’s NS Mary Ryan 1. Involved in the implementation of the Visual Arts Programme throughout the

school, with particular emphases in the performance arts. 2. Gathering and storage of the resources for the implementation of the strand

objectives for the visual-arts curriculum e.g. rollers, screens, different printing material, resource books and other raw materials.

3. Displays of different artists work in corridors of school. 4. Morning Supervision

Special Duties Post (B) Science David Tobin 1. Maintenance of Computer Room 2. Maintenance of Classroom Computers for Phase 1

a. Installation of PCs b. Installation of Software c. Networking and Internet

3. Advice for teacher about integrating IT into their lessons 4. Maintenance and set-up of laptop and projectors in Phase 1 5. Organising and training in the use of the school digital cameras and digital

camcorders 6. Photographing of school events 7. Updating of school blog 8. Translating of school newsletter into Polish 9. Uploading and updating school newsletters in both English and Polish onto the

school website. 10. Morning Supervision

Special Duties Post (B) Gaeilge Deirdre Kenneally

1. To promote spoken Irish throughout the school n the school through

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2. The organising of Irish Language events such as ‘Seachtain na Gaeilge’ etc

3. The resourcing and ordering of Irish reading materials both for formal and informal reading.

4. Co-ordinate review of Gaeilge plan 5. Morning Supervision

Communication

Parents School Parish Patron Trustees

Supervising Child’s Work Newsletter Newsletter B.O.M. Reports Activities Pastoral Care Shared Reading Policies School Events

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Policy Documents

POLICY DOCUMENT: NO. 1 – Enrolment Section A. General Information General Introduction Section A. General Information General Introduction This enrolment policy is being set out in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act (1998). The Board of Management trusts that by so doing parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters. The chairperson of the Board of Management and the principal teacher will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy. School Name: St Paul’s NS School Address: Dooradoyle, Limerick Telephone No.: 061-224 891 Denominational Character: Roman Catholic Name of Patron: Bishop Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick Total Number of Teachers in the School: 1 Principal, 1 Vice Principal, 24 Class Teachers 9 Resource, EAL and Learning Support Teachers Range of Classes Taught: Mixed classes from Junior Infants to 6th Class The school depends on the grants and teacher resources provided by the Department of Education and Science and it operates within the regulations laid down, from time to time, by the Department. School policy has regard to the resources and funding available. The school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the Department of Education and Science, which may be amended from time to time, in accordance with Sections 9 and 30 of the Education Act (1998). Within the context and parameters of Department regulations and programmes, the rights of the patron as set out in the Education Act (1998), and the funding and resources available, the school supports the principles of:

inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of children with a disability or other special educational need;

equality of access and participation in the school; parental choice in relation to enrolment; and respect for diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in

society.

Section B. Enrolment Procedures Application Procedure

Each application must be accompanied by an Original Birth Cert and a Current Utility Bill (within 2 months) for Junior Infant Applications PLUS a School Report for applicants of other years. Applications will not be processed without these documents.

Upon receipt of all documents applications are then placed into a database of applicants for the year in question.

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All applications must then be activated in the month of Sept of the year preceding enrolment (e.g. if your enrolment year is Sept. 2019, then applications must be activated in Sept. 2018). To activate your application you must do the following:

1. Confirm your interest in the Sept. preceding the proposed enrolment year. 2. Submit a copy of a recent utility bill (within 2 months) 3. Advise the name of the Montessori that your child is attending.

Junior Infant applications are reviewed for the year in question usually 21 days after

the closing date on the application (October 31st of the preceding year of enrolment) and places are allocated accordingly using the criteria below in our enrolment policy.

Parents are notified about enrolment through the school newsletter and on our website page.

Completion and submission of an application form does not guarantee automatic right to a place.

Provision of Key Information by Parents Criteria for Selection Certain information will be required when children are being enrolled. An enrolment application form is provided by the Board for this purpose. This information includes:

Pupil’s name, age and address; Names and addresses of pupil’s parents/guardians; Contact telephone numbers; PPS Number, Details of any medical conditions which the school should be aware of; Religion; Previous schools attended, if any, and reasons for transfer, if applicable; Nationality.

Decision Making Decisions in relation to applications for enrolment are made by the Board of Management in accordance with School Policy. The Board will notify parents of their decision as soon as possible after the closing date in October of the year prior to starting. All applications are acknowledged by e-mail or letter and then placed in our database of applicants for the relevant year. Filling out an application form does not guarantee a place in St. Paul’s school. Following receipt of an acknowledgment of an application form parents are required to confirm their interest in a place by activating their application in the September preceding the proposed enrolment year and submitting an up- to-date utility bill. There is no carry over of applications from year to year. A new application is required for each academic year. As a general principle and in so far as practicable having regard to the school’s enrolment policy, children will be enrolled on application, provided that there is space available. The Board will have regard for relevant Department of Education and Science guidelines in relation to class size and staffing provisions and/or any other relevant requirements concerning accommodation, including physical space and the health and welfare of children. The Board is bound by the Department of Education and Science’s Rules for National Schools which provides that pupils may only be enrolled from the age of 4 years and upwards, though compulsory attendance does not apply until the age of 6 years. Criteria for Selection – Junior Infants

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In the event that applications for enrolment exceed/is expected to exceed the number of places available the following decision making process will apply. The Board will exercise its discretion in the application of the following criteria. The criteria is as follows and in the following order:- 1) Brothers or sisters of children already in the school. 2) Staff’s children 3) Children from St. Paul’s Parish, Dooradoyle. 4) Any pupil who has reached the age of 4 on or before May 1st of the year of entry will be first to be considered (any pupil who has not reached the age of 4 by this date will not be considered until the following year). Applications forms to be accompanied by birth certificates. 5) Children from outside the parish. Pupils transferring from another school Transferring Pupils may transfer to the school at the beginning of a term, subject to school policy, available space and in some cases, the approval of the Department of Education and Science. All completed application forms for students transferring must be accompanied by the following:-

1. Birth Certificate 2. Utility Bill as proof of address 3. Recent School Report 4. Reason for changing School 5. Declaration with regards to Special Educational Needs

Attendance, behaviour and educational records as well as any record of special education needs will be sought from the previous school (Section 20 Educational Welfare Act). Upon acceptance of a place in St. Paul’s School (Juniors to 6th Class) the Department of Education also require information to be shared with them through the Primary Online Database e.g. Family details including Mother’s maiden name, PPSN number, Child’s Nationality, Language spoken at home. Parental Consent is required before Religion & Ethnic/Cultural Background information is shared with the Department of Education and Science. Appeals The Board of Management of a school is also obliged under section 19(3) of the Educational Welfare Act 2000 to make a decision in writing in respect of an application for enrolment within 21 days after the closing date advised on the application of the year prior to entry and to inform the parents in writing of that decision. Where a Board of Management refuses to enrol a student in a school, the parent of the student or, where the student has reached 18 years of age, the student himself or herself, following the conclusion of any appeal procedures at school level, has a statutory entitlement under section 29 of the Education Act (as amended by Section 4 of the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2007, to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science. A committee is established to hear the appeal with hearings conducted with a minimum of formality. In most cases appeals must be dealt with within 30 days. Where appropriate, the Secretary General may give whatever directions to the Board of Management that are considered necessary to remedy the matter complained of. Details on appealing decisions on enrolment under section 29 of the Education Act (as amended by Section 4 of the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2007), are available on the Department’s website at www.education.ie

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Parents/guardians are informed of their entitlement to appeal a decision of the Board of Management in relation to suspension or expulsion as referred to in ‘Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools’. Parents have been informed that there is a copy of this on the website, or that it can be gotten in school or from any member of the Board of Management.

The Board of Management will prepare a response if and when an appeal is being investigated by the Dept of Education and Science.

Pre-enrolment evening for parents of Junior Infant children who have been offered and accepted a place in our school Parents are invited to attend a pre-enrolment evening in the last term whey they learn about the educational philosophies of St. Paul’s School. They are presented with a booklet containing information about the Junior Infant curriculum and some school policies and various forms which need to be completed. It also informs parents about school hours, uniform etc., The Principal and Infant teachers are on hand to discuss and answer any questions from parents. Admission Day/Date Junior Infants are admitted to the school on the first day of the new school year usually being September 1st. Enrolment of Children with Special Needs In relation to applications for the enrolment of children with special needs the Board of Management will request a copy of the child’s medical and/or psychological report or where such a report is not available, will request that the child be assessed immediately. The purpose of the assessment report is to assist the school in establishing the educational and training needs of the child relevant to his/her disability or special needs and to profile the support services required. Following receipt of the report, the Board will assess how the school can meet the needs specified in the report. Where the Board deems that further resources are required, it will, prior to enrolment, request the Special Education Needs Organiser (NCSE see Circular 01/05) to provide the resources required to meet the needs of the child as outlined in the psychological and/or medical report. These resources may include for example, access to or the provision of any or a combination of the following: visiting teacher service, resource teacher for special needs, special needs assistant, specialised equipment or furniture, transport services or other. The school will meet with the parents of the child and with the SENO to discuss the child’s needs and the school’s suitability or capability in meeting those needs. Where necessary, a full case conference involving all parties will be held, which may include parents, principal, class teacher, learning support teacher, special class teacher, resource teacher for special needs, Special Educational Needs Organiser or psychologist, as appropriate. Ratification:

The original school policy was completed and made ready for the school plan in 2004.

The original policy was discussed at the Board of Management meeting of March 24th 2003; included in policy document booklet presented to members at meeting of November; 21st 2006 and ratified at the meeting of January 30th 2007

This policy was reviewed at our staff meeting on September 26th 2008 – condition 1 above included, request for birth certificates adopted and this condition was ratified by the Board of Management at their meeting on October 1st 2008.

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The updated version of our policy to ensure adherence to the Education Act was completed and made ready for the school plan on 5th March 2009

The updated version was ratified by the Board of Management March 11th This policy was reviewed during school year 2014-2015 and updated to

include ‘Decision Making’ & an amended ‘Criteria for Acceptance’ sections This policy was reviewed and updated by School Administratorin October

2016 This policy was reviewed and application procedure updated on September

19th 2017 Date for next review: Autumn 2020 (unless circumstances deem a sooner review date necessary)

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POLICY DOCUMENT: NO. 2 – Special Educational Needs provision (covering Learning Support and Special Educational Needs): The original Policy on Special Educational Needs Provision in St. Paul’s N.S. was formulated by the learning-support/resource teachers, Elizabeth Lawlor, Margaret Bernard and Mary Dalton, along with Principal, John Tuohy from October 2006 to January 2007. It was recorded during meetings with Mary Dalton and Muirne Bennis (post holder – school-plan development) in June 2007. The policy has been formulated with specific reference to the Special Education Circular SP ED 02/05 and the Learning Support Guidelines. The Draft Policy was discussed and further developed by the teaching staff of St Paul’s NS on Sept 29th 2006. The Draft Policy was discussed, accepted and ratified by the Board of Management of St Paul’s N.S. in Autumn 2008. This Policy on Learning-Support Provision in St Paul’s N.S. contains the following elements: 1. Situation 2. Aims of Learning-Support.

2.1 Subsidiary aims. 3. Principles. 4. Staff Roles and Responsibilities.

4.1 Role of the Board of Management. 4.2 Role of Principal. 4.3 Role of Class Teacher. 4.4 Role of Learning-Support Teacher. 4.5 Role of Resource Teacher. 4.6 Role of Parents. 4.7 Role of Pupils.

5. Internal Provision. 5.1 Prevention Strategies.

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5.2 Early Intervention Programmes. 5.3 Screening, Assessment, Caseload, Selection, Permissions and Review.

1. Initial Screening. 2. Diagnostic Assessment 3. Caseload Decisions. 4. Selection Criteria. 5. Parental permission.

6. Continuing and Discontinuing Supplementary Teaching. 7. Monitoring Progress. 8. Liaising with Parents.

8.1 Communication with Parents 8.2 Principal Teacher Liaising with Parents. 8.3 Class Teacher Liaising with Parents. 8.4 The Learning-Support Teacher Liaising with Parents.

9. Monitoring and Reviewing of Policy. List of Appendices. Appendix 1:

A List of Assessments available to this Cluster. Appendix 2:

Draft Letter of consent for the administration of Screening, Diagnostic and Standardised Tests to be completed on child’s admission to school.

Appendix 3: Draft Letter Seeking Parental Permission for their Child to Attend Learning-Support.

Appendix 4: Resources Available to the SEN Teacher in this School.

Bibliography.

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1. Situation. School Roll

Number Address Number of

Class Teachers

St Paul’s N.S. 193360 Dooradoyle, Limerick 24 2. Aims of Learning-Support. The principal aim of Learning-Support is to optimise the teaching and learning process in order to enable pupils with learning difficulties to achieve adequate levels of proficiency in literary and numeracy before leaving primary school. 2.1 Subsidiary aims.

To enable pupils to participate in the full curriculum for their class level. To develop positive self esteem and positive attitudes about school and

learning in pupils. To enable pupils to monitor their own learning and become independent

learners. To provide supplementary teaching and additional support in English and/or

Mathematics and English for international children. To involve parents in supporting their children through encouraging parental

involvement. To promote collaboration among teachers in the implementation of whole-

school policies on learning support for pupils. To establish early intervention programmes designed to enhance learning and

to prevent/reduce difficulties in learning. To promote the self-esteem and self-image of the learner.

3. Principles. Effective learning programmes are based on the following principles:

Effective whole-school policies and parental involvement Prevention of failure Provision of early intervention Direction of resources towards pupils in greatest need.

4. Staff Roles and Responsibilities. The role of support learning is a collaborative responsibility shared by all: The Board of Management, Principal Teacher, Deputy Principal, Class Teachers, SEN teachers,(Learning-Support Teacher/Resource Teacher/EAL teacher) Parents and Children. It is important that everyone contributes to the planning and helps in the implementation of our school plan on Learning-Support Provision. 4.1 Role of the Board of Management. The Board of Management will: Oversee the development, implementation and review of the SEN policy. Ensure that adequate classroom accommodation and teaching resources are

provided for the learning-support teacher.

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Provide adequate funds for the purchase of SEN materials. “Funds provided for these materials should not be limited to the learning-support grant provided by the Department of Education and Skills”, (Learning-Support Guidelines, p. 47).

Provide a secure facility for storage of records relating to pupils in receipt of learning-support services.

4.2 Role of Principal. “The principal teacher has overall responsibility for the school’s learning-support programme and for the operation of services for children with special educational needs”. (Learning-Support Guidelines, p.38). The Principal Teacher will: Assume overall responsibility for the development and implementation of the

school’s policies on learning-support and special needs in co-operation with the SEN teachers (Learning-Support Teachers, Resource Teachers and English-Language Teachers).

Work with teachers and parents in the development of the school plan on learning-support and special needs.

Monitor the implementation of the school plan on learning-support and special needs on an ongoing basis.

Monitor the selection of pupils for supplementary teaching, ensuring that this service is focused on the pupils with very low achievement.

Oversee the implementation of a whole-school assessment and screening programme to identify pupils with very low achievement and learning difficulties so that these pupils can be provided with the support they need.

Keep teachers informed about the external assessment services that are available and the procedures to be followed for initial referrals.

Help teachers increase their knowledge and skills in the area of SEN. Liaise regularly with the SEN Teachers. “In order to support the implementation

of school policy on learning support as outlined in the school plan, the principal teacher should arrange a meeting with the learning-support teacher at least once each school term to discuss the implementation of the school plan on learning support” (Learning-Support Guidelines, p. 40).

Assume direct responsibility, in conjunction with the Deputy Principal, for co-ordinating learning-support and special needs services. The role of co-ordinating learning-support and special needs services is filled by the principal teacher himself in collaboration with the Deputy Principal and SEN teachers. These duties include the following:

Maintaining a list of pupils who are receiving supplementary teaching and/ or special educational services.

Help to co-ordinate the caseloads/work schedules of the learning-support and resource teachers.

Supporting the implementation of a tracking system at whole-school level to monitor the progress of children with learning difficulties beginning with Junior Infants in 2017-2018 using the Continuum of Support on the school Aladdin System.

Advise parents on procedures for availing of special needs services. Liaising with external agencies such as psychological services to

arrange assessments and special provision for pupils with special needs.

Arrange for classroom accommodation and resources, as appropriate. 4.3 Role of Class Teacher.

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The Learning Support Guidelines (2000) advocate a significant change in the role of the class teacher, in terms of increasing emphasis on consultation with the learning-support teacher and with parents. The class teacher has primary responsibility for the progress of all pupils in

her/his class, including those selected for supplementary teaching. “A particular responsibility of the class teacher is to create a classroom

environment in which learning difficulties can be prevented or at least alleviated”, (Learning-Support Guidelines, p. 42).

This can be achieved by: Grouping pupils for instruction Providing lower-achieving pupils with strategies for reading, spelling

and problem solving Adapting learning materials for lower-achieving pupils Liaising closely with their parents When supplementary teaching cannot be provided for a pupil, or is

being phased out or discontinued, the class teacher will record concerns, share them with the parent, will differentiate the class curriculum and will consult with the SEN teacher for advice (in accordance with the Continuum of Support: Stage 1: Whole Class).

In supporting the development and implementation of the school plan on learning support, the class teacher will administer and score appropriate screening measures and discuss the outcomes with the Learning-Support Teacher.

The class teacher will play an important role in the initial identification of pupils who may have general or specific learning disabilities, as per the NEPS Working Together to Make a Difference for Children: The NEPS Model of Service.

For each pupil who is in receipt of supplementary teaching, the class teacher will collaborate with the learning-support teacher in the development of an Individual Profile and Learning Programme by identifying appropriate learning targets and by organising classroom activities to achieve those targets.

With regard to teaching pupils with low achievement, the following general approaches and methods are recommended:

Differentiate the programme. Group teaching Modifying presentation and questioning techniques to maximise the

involvement of pupils with low achievement in class activities. Placing an emphasis on oral language development across the

curriculum. Providing pupils with extra tutoring in the key basic skills in literacy

and numeracy. Setting learning targets at an appropriate level. Providing learning activities and materials which are suitably

challenging but which also ensure success and progress. Carrying out error analyses of a pupil’s work to pinpoint specific areas

of difficulty for particular attention in subsequent lessons. Setting up ‘buddy systems’ in class (high achievers collaboratively

working with low achievers). A key role of successful learning-support is a very high level of consultation

and co-operation between the class teacher and the learning-support teacher. Central to this consultation is the development, implementation and review of Individual Profile and Learning Programmes. This consultation will be achieved through termly meetings, formal and informal meetings. It is accepted practice for class teachers to consult with the parents of all their

pupils from time to time. However, for parents of pupils who are in receipt of supplementary teaching, additional time should be devoted to consultation and collaborative planning. In the case of each pupil who has been identified as

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experiencing low achievement and/or a learning difficulty following administration of an appropriate screening measure, the class teacher should:

Make parents aware of the concerns of the school about their child’s progress.

Outline the school’s practices regarding the administration of diagnostic tests by the learning-support teacher.

Outline the support that is available in the school to pupils who experience low achievement and/or learning difficulties.

Indicate to the pupil’s parents that a meeting with the learning-support teacher will follow the assessment.

After the diagnostic assessment, attend, if possible, the meeting between the pupil’s parents and the learning-support teacher and indicate how the pupil’s class programme will be modified in order to achieve the agreed learning targets in the pupil’s Individual Profile and Learning Plan.

4.4 Role of Learning-Support Teacher. The activities of the learning support teacher should include both teaching and non-teaching duties. According to the Learning-Support Guidelines (2000) “The particular balance that the learning-support teacher achieves between supplementary teaching and consultative activities will depend on the specific circumstances of the school” (p. 32). The learning-support teacher’s activities should include, where possible: Assisting in the implementation of a broad range of whole-school strategies

designed to enhance early learning and to prevent learning difficulties. Development of an Individual Profile and Learning Programme and/or Group

Educational Profile for each pupil or group of pupils who is selected for supplementary teaching, in consultation with class teachers and parents.

Maintaining a fortnightly planning and progress record, or equivalent, for each individual pupil or group of pupils in receipt of learning support.

Delivering early intervention programmes and providing supplementary teaching in English and/or Mathematics to pupils in the junior section of the school (Senior Infants to 1st Class).

Providing teaching in English and/or Mathematics to pupils in the senior section of the school who experience low achievement and/or learning difficulties.

Co-ordinating the implementation of whole-school procedures for the selection of pupils for supplementary teaching, giving due consideration to:

The selection criteria specified in this Learning-Support Policy Teachers’ professional observations Input from parents

Contributing to the development of policy on Learning-Support at the whole school level.

Providing advice to the Class Teacher (if requested) about pupils who are experiencing learning difficulties in areas such as:

Individual pupil assessment Programme planning Curriculum differentiation Approaches to language development Approaches to reading Approaches to spelling Approaches to writing Approaches to Mathematics

Contributing at the school level to decision-making regarding the purchase of learning resources, books and materials to be made available to pupils with

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learning difficulties in their mainstream classrooms and in the learning-support teacher’s room.

Performing a defined role in co-ordinating the provision of special needs and learning-support services in the school, as requested and time permitting.

Liaising with external agencies such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists etc… to arrange assessments and special provision for pupils with special needs.

Collaborate with the principal teacher and meet with him at least once each school term to discuss issues relating to the development and implementation of the school plan on learning-support and to the provision of Learning-Support.

The learning-support teacher should work closely with class teachers to implement school policies on preventing learning difficulties, screening pupils for learning difficulties, interpreting the outcomes of diagnostic assessments and providing supplementary teaching and other forms of learning-support, where it is deemed necessary.

The learning-support teacher plays an important role in co-ordinating the selection of pupils for supplementary teaching. The learning-support teacher should: Co-ordinate the administration by class teachers of a whole-school

screening programme to identify pupils with very low achievement and/or learning difficulties in English and Mathematics: MIST, Drumcondra Literacy and Numeracy screening tests for Senior Infants, Drumcondra Literacy and Numeracy Standardised tests for 1st to 6th class.

Consult with class teachers in September on the identification of pupils who may need diagnostic assessment, taking into account the pupils’ scores on an appropriate standardised screening measure, agreed criteria for identifying pupils, teachers’ own views of the pupils’ difficulties and needs and the number of pupils to whom learning-support can be provided.

Carry out a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of each pupil who has been identified as experiencing low achievement and/or learning difficulties and, in consultation with the class teacher and parents, identify the type and level of learning-support that is needed to meet the pupil’s needs.

In addition to providing supplementary teaching to pupils, the learning-support teacher is involved in administering a range of formal and informal assessments and in maintaining records of the outcomes of those assessments. (See Appendix on list of assessments). The learning-support teacher should: Conduct an initial diagnostic assessment of each pupil who has been

identified as having low achievement and/or a learning difficulty, based on results of an appropriate screening measure and record the findings of the assessment in the pupil’s Individual Profile and Learning Programme.

Monitor the ongoing progress of each pupil in receipt of supplementary teaching in relation to the attainment of agreed learning targets and short-term objectives that arise from them and record the observations in the Fortnightly Planning and Progress Record, or equivalent.

Review the progress of each pupil at the end of the learning-support instructional term and record it on the pupil’s Individual Profile and Learning Programme.

4.5 Role of Resource Teacher.

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Most of this policy document makes reference to learning-support provision and to the Learning-Support Teacher. At present this school has the services of five Resource Teachers. Develop an IEP for each child who is in receipt of resource hours, in

consultation with the class teacher, parents and outside agencies. Maintain a daily planning and progress record for each individual in receipt of

resource hours. Provide supplementary teaching commensurate with the child’s particular

individual needs. Research the pupil’s specific learning difficulty, to become au fait with this

impediment to learning. Implement recommendations from outside agencies, wherever possible. Maintain confidential records on each of his/her pupils. Assess their pupils on an on-going basis and record their progress. Liaise with outside agencies pertinent to the children in their care. Liaise with class teachers formally at the beginning of October, the beginning

of January and the beginning of the third term. Meet informally with class teachers on a regular basis.

Meet with parents of each pupil who is in receipt of resource hours to discuss targets and ways in which attainment of the targets can be supported at home.

Organise a Daily Journal to communicate how the child is progressing academically and developing socially.

Meet with parents of each pupil who is in receipt of resource hours at the end of each instructional term:

To review the pupil’s attainment of agreed targets To discuss the next instructional term To revise the pupil’s IEP.

Provide advice to class teacher in such areas as individual pupil assessment, programme planning, differentiation of the curriculum, as well as approaches to language development, reading, writing and mathematics for pupils in receipt of resource hours.

4.6 Role of Parents.

“Parents through their unique knowledge of their own child, have much to contribute to their child’s learning programmes” (Learning-Support Guidelines, p.52). Parents can prepare for and support the work of the school by: Providing a home environment in which there are opportunities for adults and

children to participate together in language, literacy and mathematical activities in the early years before formal schooling begins.

Supporting the work of the school by participating with their child in such activities as:

Using Information and Communications Technology (ICT), where available, to support learning in English and/or Mathematics

Book sharing/reading stories Storytelling Paired reading (listening to and giving supportive feedback on oral

reading) Discussions about school and other activities to build vocabulary and

thinking skills Writing lists and short accounts about children’s experiences Counting and measuring and other activities involving number Visits to the zoo, museum, library etc… to broaden the range of their

child’s experiences Where their child is in receipt of supplementary teaching,

implementing suggested home-based activities outlined in their child’s

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Individual Profile and Learning Programme/IEP and discussing the outcomes with the child’s teachers.

Talking positively about school and school work; Availing of real-life situations to discuss the importance of language, literacy

and mathematics. Modelling involvement in language, literacy and mathematical activities at

home by engaging in and talking about these activities. Where their child is in receipt of supplementary teaching, implementing

suggested home-based activities outlined in their child’s Individual Profile and Learning Programme/IEP and discussing the outcomes with the child’s teachers.

Parents should keep the class teacher informed of the progress that they observe in their child’s learning. They should also let the school know of any learning difficulties that they observe in their child at home. If, following diagnostic assessment, the child has been identified as requiring supplementary teaching, the parents should attend a meeting with the learning-support/SEN teacher to discuss:

The results of the assessment The learning targets in the child’s Individual Profile and Learning

programme/IEP The actions to be taken by the school to meet those targets The ways in which attainment of the targets can be supported at home.

The parents should: Discuss their child’s progress with the SEN teacher during the year by

appointment and, where supplementary teaching is to be continued, discuss the revised learning targets and activities in their child’s Individual Profile and Learning Programme/IEP.

At the discontinuation of supplementary teaching, both learning support and resource teaching, discuss with their child’s teachers how the child’s future learning needs can continue to be met at school and at home.

Participate in activities organised by the school that are designed to increase the involvement of parents in their children’s learning e.g. Literacy Lift Off/Shared reading.

Become familiar with and contribute to the development of the school plan on learning support individually and through involvement in parents’ association.

4.7 Role of Pupils. Pupils who are in receipt of supplementary teaching should, as appropriate: Become familiar with the medium and short-term learning targets that have

been set for them and they should be given the opportunity to contribute to the setting of such targets.

Contribute to the selection of texts and other learning materials that are relevant to the attainment of their learning targets.

Develop ‘ownership’ of the skills and strategies that are taught during supplementary teaching and learn to apply these learning strategies and skills to improve their own learning.

Contribute to the evaluation of their progress by participating in appropriate assessment activities, including self-assessment.

“The involvement of pupils in the development, implementation and review of their own learning programmes is an important principle underlining effective supplementary teaching” (Learning-Support Guidelines, p.54).

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5. Internal Provision. 5.1 Prevention Strategies. Our strategies for preventing learning difficulties include: The development of agreed approaches to the teaching of English and

Mathematics, in order to ensure progression and continuity from class to class. (See Plean Scoile for English and Mathematics)

Provision of additional support in language development and relevant early literacy and mathematical skills to pupils who need it.

Ongoing structured observation and assessment of the language, literacy and numeracy skills of pupils in the infant classes to facilitate early identification of possible learning difficulties.

Close collaboration and consultation between the Infant teacher and the Learning-support teacher.

Team Teaching (Station-Teaching) in Senior Infants where each class is divided into three groups and help given as appropriate in the areas of phonological awareness, sight vocabulary-building and writing skills.

5.2 Early Intervention Programmes. Early intervention is a vital component of the learning-support provision in this school. Early intervention programmes will be provided by the class teacher, learning support/resource teachers and EAL teacher. Close collaboration and consultation between the class teachers and the learning-support teacher, will identify pupils who may be in need of early intervention. Teacher observation and professional opinion will be given due consideration and respect in the selection of pupils for early intervention programmes. Intensive early intervention programmes in the early primary classes can be an effective response to meeting the needs of children. Examples of early intervention programmes: In-class language support by EAL teacher with Junior Infant classes Team-Teaching in Senior Infants in the areas of literacy and numeracy Literacy Lift Off in 2nd/3rd term of Senior Infants and 1st term of First class Team-teaching with first/second class in numeracy, caseload permitting Learning Centres in third/fourth class in Maths, caseload permitting These programmes will:

Be set within a specific time frame Be based on a shared expectation of success by everyone involved Involve teaching of a small group Include a strong focus on oral language, laying the foundation for

meaningful reading activities and further development of language and comprehension skills

Emphasise the development of phonemic awareness and a range of other word identification skills

Engage the pupils in frequent supervised oral and silent reading of texts at appropriate levels of difficulty and monitor their comprehension

Stress the interconnected nature of listening, speaking, reading and writing

Focus on language development in mathematics and in the development of mathematical procedure and concepts where caseloads allow.

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5.3 Screening, Assessment, Caseload, Selection, Permissions and Review. 1. Initial Screening.

Class teachers/LS teachers will carry out the initial screening tests. Class teachers/LS teachers will also correct and record results for MIST, Drumcondra English and Drumcondra Maths screening/standardised tests.

2. Diagnostic Assessment. The learning-support teacher will discuss recorded results with the teachers and carry out further screening tests and/or diagnostic assessments where it is deemed necessary.

3. Caseload Decisions. 30 is the agreed maximum number of pupils in total that can be taught by the learning-support teacher at any one time.

4. Selection Criteria.

1) Resource teachers/learning-support teachers will accommodate pupils with assessed low incidence disabilities in accordance with approved hours granted by the SENO and in accordance with DES Circular 13/2017.

2) Children who are awaiting assessment and likely to be categorised at the Stage III will be accommodated by resource teachers/learning-support teachers in accordance with DES Circular 13/2017.

3) Children who have been assessed by a psychologist and who have received a recommendation that they attend learning support.

4) Learning-support teachers will accommodate children up to 10th percentile in English Literacy from 1st class.

5) Learning-support teacher will accommodate children up to the 10th percentile in Mathematics from 1st class.

6) Early intervention in English literacy/numeracy from the first term in Senior Infants.

7) Learning-support teacher will accommodate children from 11th-19th

percentile in English Literacy up to and including fourth class. (caseloads permitting)

8) Learning-support teacher will accommodate children from 11th-19th in Maths percentile up to and including fourth class. (caseloads permitting)

9) Children with learning difficulties including those children with mild speech and language difficulties, children with social or emotional difficulties and pupils with mild co-ordination or attention difficulties.

5. Parental Permissions.

(1) Written parental permission is required for children to attend learning-support.

6. Continuing and Discontinuing Supplementary Teaching. A meeting will be held with the parents in cases where supplementary

teaching is to be commenced or continued to discuss the learning targets and activities in the pupil’s Individual Profile and Learning Programme/IEP. Further meetings may take place at the request of the SEN teacher and/or parents.

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Supplementary teaching will normally be discontinued where the targets have been met and the pupil (on assessment) is performing above the percentile laid down in the criteria for receiving learning-support.

The school may decide to discontinue supplementary teaching with some pupils who have made satisfactory progress. Due consideration will be given to the overall needs of the school and all its pupils.

Pupils who received access to Resource teaching hours from the SENO (prior to September 2017) will continue to avail of these teaching hours until they complete their education in St. Paul’s N.S.

7. Monitoring Progress. Monitoring the academic progress of the pupils in this school will be accomplished by: Ongoing structured observation and assessment of the language, literacy and

numeracy skills of the pupils in the infant classes to facilitate early identification of possible learning difficulties by the class teacher.

Formal and informal testing and observation of work by the class teacher. Implementing the school policies on screening and the selection of pupils for

supplementary teaching in English and/or in Mathematics by administering and scoring appropriate measures:

For Senior Infant pupils: MIST each year late in term 1 and Drumcondra Literacy and Numeracy Screening tests for Senior Infants in the last term.

For 1st to 6th Class pupils: Drumcondra Reading and Maths each year in the month of May.

Standardised and diagnostic testing by the learning-support teacher/resource teacher.

Record keeping (Children have a file where records, test results and assessments are kept in a secure filing cabinet).

Non-academic progress of pupils in this school will be reviewed informally, for example under the headings of improvements in the pupil’s self-esteem, school attendance, attitude to learning, attitude to school and general behaviour.

8. Liaising with Parents. 8.1 Communication with Parents. Effective communication with parents is critically important to the success of a learning-support programme. Teachers will take every opportunity to make parents familiar with the

purpose and procedures of the school’s learning-support team e.g. by phone, through the daily journal, through formal/informal meetings

Activities may be organised in our school, from time to time, to increase the involvement of parents in their children’s learning, e.g. Shared reading.

Parents will be encouraged to support their child’s learning through: Developing children’s oral language through discussion Motivating children to read more Creating a home environment where literacy can thrive Selecting books that interest children Counting, measuring and other activities involving number.

8.2 Principal Teacher Liaising with Parents.

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While the learning-support teacher/resource teacher will consult with parents and outside agencies on an ongoing basis, the principal teacher can facilitate the involvement of parents in the learning-support process by: Establishing school policies and procedures, which enable parents to become

involved effectively in the provision of learning-support. Overseeing the development of links between teachers and the providers of

assessments and other services.

8.3 Class Teacher Liaising with Parents. Once a class teacher has become aware of a child’s low achievement, the class

teacher will make them aware of the situation to ascertain the parent’s views about the child’s performance at school.

Stage 1: The teacher will implement a class-support plan in conjunction with the parents.

Stage 2: If a child’s needs persist, parents will be apprised of the need for diagnostic assessment, consultation with the learning support teacher and commencement of supplementary teaching.

Seek the parent’s permission for their child to attend supplementary teaching with the learning-support teacher (Draft letter for this purpose, Appendix 3).

8.4 The SEN Teacher Liaising with Parents.

In addition to providing general information to parents about the learning-support services that are available in the school, the SEN teacher should: Meet with the parents of each pupil who has been selected for diagnostic

assessment After the initial diagnostic assessment has been completed, meet with each

pupil’s parents to discuss the outcomes of the assessment. Discuss the learning targets in the child’s Individual Profile and Learning

Programme/IEP with the parents, the actions to be taken by the school to meet those targets and the ways in which attainment of the targets can be supported at home (if it is decided that supplementary teaching will be provided by the learning-support teacher).

Communicate on an ongoing basis with the parents of each pupil who is in receipt of supplementary teaching so that progress can be positively affirmed and any difficulties in implementing the pupil’s learning programme at school or at home can either be anticipated and avoided or addressed without delay.

Consult with the parents of each pupil who is in receipt of supplementary teaching during the year by appointment to review the pupil’s attainment of agreed learning targets, to discuss the level of supplementary teaching (if any) that will be provided in the next instructional term and to revise the pupil’s Individual Profile and Learning Programme/IEP as necessary.

Consult with parents when supplementary teaching is to be discontinued and identify ways in which the pupil’s learning can continue to be supported at school and at home.

Demonstrate techniques and strategies to parents that will enable them to help with their child’s development in such areas as oral language, reading, writing, spelling and mathematics.

Where relevant, collaborate with other teachers to advise parents on ways in which they can support their children’s learning at home.

9. Monitoring and Reviewing of Policy.

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Monitoring of the SEN Policy is an ongoing and developmental process. A meeting will be held in the last term of each school year to review this Policy. The Principal Teacher, the Deputy Principal, the Learning-Support Teachers and Resource Teachers will attend. Prior to this end of year meeting, the whole school staff of this school will discuss the Learning-Support Policy, so that pertinent issues and concerns may be addressed.

List of Appendices. Appendix 1.

A List of Assessments available to this School. Appendix 2.

Draft Letter of consent for the administration of Screening, Standardised and Diagnostic Tests to be completed on child’s admission to school.

Appendix 3. Draft Letter Seeking Parental Permission for their Child to Attend Learning-Support/Resource teaching.

Appendix 4. Resources Available to the SEN Teacher in this School.

Appendix 1. A List of Assessments available to this School:

MIST Drumc